Euphemism
- The act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive
- A common day example of a good euphemism in "to pass away". This is a eupemism for "to die". To die seems a bit violent and harsh so it is replaced by a statement with the same meaning more or less, but in a much more mild tone.
Examples: Shakespeare: King Richard II:
King Richard: What says he?
Northumberland: Nay, nothing, all is said.
His tongue is now a stringless instrument
Effects & Meaning:
This comes as Richard inquires after John of Gaunt and Northumberland replies by saying that his tongue is now a string less instrument. This is a euphemism for John of Gaunt has died. He can no linger speak. An instrument makes music and 'lives' as does a tongue make words and speak, however now he is dead it is like the strings have been taken away from the instrument and nothing can be heard. If you go ahead and just change that whole line for, "Nay, nothing, all is said. He is dead" it loses so much of the "Shakespeare" effect. What is there already is much more mild than 'dead' and is put together in a very clever array of words comparing death to that of an instrument losing its strings. It has a more 'elegant' effect and does not sound as harsh.
Frost: The Wood Pile
"I thought that only someone who lived
in turning to fresh tasks could so forget
his handiwork on which spent himself
the labour of his axe."
Effects & Meaning:
It is perhaps not as easy to find examples of euphemisms in poetry than Shakespeare because in Shakespeare, his writing is so different from what we are used to today, almost anything can be translated into modern day English. However in this poem here, the speaker of the poem substitutes their thoughts of thinking that only someone who does nothing but new tasks every day and has no real purpose in life can do so much work such as putting together a wood pile and then leaving it. How Frost has written it however is in a much more again 'elegant' manner and mild tone. He simply states that he thought someone who 'turns' to fresh tasks could so forget the 'handiwork' on which he spent himself the 'labor'... The words in '' are ones I have decided to pick out to focus on how they can be different in a more aggressive tone. Turning is a euphemism for switching, changing jobs, doing nothing. Handiwork is a nice way of saying hard labor, since cutting wood is not exactly a easy enjoyable job to most people. Labor however can then be seen as a euphemism for hard working or 'hammering' or 'cutting'. He is clearly cutting the wood with his axe, but he is laboring it. It is a much more mild tone for the same meaning. Frost does this in my opinion to create more of a visual image out of the event. The words chosen open the window for much more graphic interpretation of the situation. It also compliments his style of Nature as a motif. The woods are fresh, there is handiwork and labor. There are all examples of things one can possibly do in the woods with nature. The euphemisms allow for more of an interaction between the speaker in the poem and nature.
- The act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive
- A common day example of a good euphemism in "to pass away". This is a eupemism for "to die". To die seems a bit violent and harsh so it is replaced by a statement with the same meaning more or less, but in a much more mild tone.
Examples:
Shakespeare:
King Richard II:
King Richard: What says he?
Northumberland: Nay, nothing, all is said.
His tongue is now a stringless instrument
Effects & Meaning:
This comes as Richard inquires after John of Gaunt and Northumberland replies by saying that his tongue is now a string less instrument. This is a euphemism for John of Gaunt has died. He can no linger speak. An instrument makes music and 'lives' as does a tongue make words and speak, however now he is dead it is like the strings have been taken away from the instrument and nothing can be heard. If you go ahead and just change that whole line for, "Nay, nothing, all is said. He is dead" it loses so much of the "Shakespeare" effect. What is there already is much more mild than 'dead' and is put together in a very clever array of words comparing death to that of an instrument losing its strings. It has a more 'elegant' effect and does not sound as harsh.
Frost:
The Wood Pile
"I thought that only someone who lived
in turning to fresh tasks could so forget
his handiwork on which spent himself
the labour of his axe."
Effects & Meaning:
It is perhaps not as easy to find examples of euphemisms in poetry than Shakespeare because in Shakespeare, his writing is so different from what we are used to today, almost anything can be translated into modern day English. However in this poem here, the speaker of the poem substitutes their thoughts of thinking that only someone who does nothing but new tasks every day and has no real purpose in life can do so much work such as putting together a wood pile and then leaving it. How Frost has written it however is in a much more again 'elegant' manner and mild tone. He simply states that he thought someone who 'turns' to fresh tasks could so forget the 'handiwork' on which he spent himself the 'labor'... The words in '' are ones I have decided to pick out to focus on how they can be different in a more aggressive tone. Turning is a euphemism for switching, changing jobs, doing nothing. Handiwork is a nice way of saying hard labor, since cutting wood is not exactly a easy enjoyable job to most people. Labor however can then be seen as a euphemism for hard working or 'hammering' or 'cutting'. He is clearly cutting the wood with his axe, but he is laboring it. It is a much more mild tone for the same meaning. Frost does this in my opinion to create more of a visual image out of the event. The words chosen open the window for much more graphic interpretation of the situation. It also compliments his style of Nature as a motif. The woods are fresh, there is handiwork and labor. There are all examples of things one can possibly do in the woods with nature. The euphemisms allow for more of an interaction between the speaker in the poem and nature.